“ Who putteþ out a good womman, putteþ out good; who forsoþe holdeþ avoutresse, is a fool and vnwis. Wiþ obsecraciouns spekeþ þe pore man; and a riche man shal speke out ruggidli. A man amyable to felashipe mor a frend shal be, þan a broþer.
Capitulum XIX. Betere is a pore man, þat goþ in simplenes, þan a riche man tormentende his lippis, and vnwis. Wher is not kunnyng of soule, is not good; and who is hastif, wiþ feett stumbliþ. Þe folie of a man supplauntiþ hise goingis; and aȝen God boileþ in his inwit. Richesses adden manye frendis; fro þe pore forsoþe and þo þat he hadde, ben seuered. ”

“ Betere is a litil wiþ þe drede of þe Lord, þan grete tresoris and vnfillable. Betere is to be clepid to wrtis wiþ charite, þan to a fat calf wiþ hate. A man ful of wraþe stiriþ striues; who is pacient, swageþ þe vprered. Þe weie of slowe men as heggis of þornes; þe weie of riȝtwis men wiþoute þing of hurting. A wis sone makeþ glad þe fader; and a fool man despiseþ his moder. Folie is ioȝe to þe fool; and a prudent man shal riȝt reulen his goingus. Þoȝtis ben to-scatered, wher is not counseil; wher forsoþe ben manye counseileris, þei ben confermed. A man gladeþ in þe sentence of his mouþ ”

“ In þe lippis of þe wis man is founde wisdam; and a ȝerde in þe rigge of hym þat is nedi in herte. Wise men hiden kunnyng; þe mouþ forsoþe of þe fool is next to confusioun. Þe substaunce of þe riche man þe cite of his strengþe; þe ferd of pore men þe nedynesse of hem. Þe werc of þe riȝtwis man to lif; þe frut forsoþe of þe vnpitous to synne. Þe weie of lif to þe kepende discipline; who forsoþe vndernemyngis forsakeþ, erreþ. Liende lippis hiden hate; who spekeþ wrongful blamyng, is an vnwis man. In myche speche shal not lacke synne; who forsoþe temperþ his lippis, is most prudent. ”

“ A witti man alle þingis doþ wiþ counseil; who forsoþe is a fool, shall opene folie. Þe messager of þe vnpitous shal falle in to euel; þe feiþful sent is helþe. Nedynesse and shenshipe to hym þat forsakeþ discipline; who forsoþe assenteþ to þe vndernymere, shal ben glorified. Desir, if it be fulfild, delitiþ þe soule; foolis wlaten hem þat flen euelis. Who wiþ wise goþ, a wis man shal ben; þe frend of folis lic shal be maad. Synneres euel pursueþ; and to riȝtwis men goode þingis shul be ȝolde. A good man leueþ eiris sones, and sonys sones; and is kept to þe riȝtwise þe substaunce of þe synnere. ”

“ For þe synnes of lippis falling neȝheþ to þe euel man; forsoþe þe riȝtwis man shal fleen out of anguysh. Of þe frut of his mouþ eche shal be fulfild of goodis; and after þe werkis of his hondis it shal be ȝolde to hym. Þe weie of þe fool riȝt in þe eȝen of hym; who forsoþe is a wis man, hereþ counseilis. Þe fool shewiþ anoon his wraþe; who forsoþe dissymuliþ wrongus, is fel. Who þat he knewȝ, spekeþ, domes man of riȝtwisnesse is; who forsoþe lieþ, is a gileful witnesse. Þer is þat behoteþ, and as wiþ a swerd is pungid to þe conscience; þe tunge forsoþe of wise men is helþe. ”

“ A leoun rorende, and a bere hungrende, an vnpitous prince on a pore puple. A nedi duk of prudence manye shal opresse bi chalenge; who forsoþe hatiþ auarice, long shul be made þe daȝes of hym. Þe man þat wrongfulli chalengiþ to þe soule, þe blod of hym, if vn to þe lake he shul flee, no man susteneþ. Who goþ simpleli, shal ben saaf; who in peruertid weies shal go, shal falle togidere at ones. Who werchiþ his erþe, shal be fulfild wiþ loeues; who folewiþ idil reste, shal ben fulfild wiþ nedynesse. A man feiþful myche shal ben preisid; who forsoþe heeȝeþ to be maad riche, shal not ben innocent. ”

“ To hym þat openeþ priuetes, and goþ gilendeli, and spredeþ abrod his lippis, ne be þou togidere mengd. Who cursiþ to his fader and moder, shal be quenchid his liȝt in myddyl dercnesses. Eritage to þe whiche is heeȝid in þe begynnyng, in þe laste shal lacke blissing. Ne sey þou, I shal ȝelde euel for euel; abid þe Lord, and he shal deliuere þee. Abominacioun is anent God weiȝte and weiȝte; a treeccherous balaunce is not good. Of þe Lord ben riȝt reulid þe goingis of a man; who forsoþe of men mai vnderstonde his wei? Falling is of men ofte to vouwe to seintis, and aftir þe vouwis aȝeen drawe. ”

“ Þere is not a man in hir hous; he ȝide awei þe most ferr weie. Þe bagge of his monee he toc wiþ hym; in þe dai of þe fulle moone he is to turne aȝeen in to his hous. She grenede hym wiþ manye woordis; and wiþ flatering of lippis she fordroȝ hym. Anoon he folewiþ hir, as an oxe lad to þe sacrifise of victorie; and as a lomb pleiende and vnknowende, þat to bondis þe fool is drawe, to þe time þat þe arwe þirle þurȝ his mawe. As if a brid heeȝe to þe grene; and wot not, þat of þe perile of his lif me purposeþ. ”

“ Who ȝeldeþ euelis for goodis, shal not go awei euel fro his hous. Who leueþ water, hed is of striues; and er he suffre wrong blamyng, dom he forsakeþ. And who iustefieþ þe vnpitouse, and who condempneþ þe riȝtwise, abominable is eiþer anent God. What profiteþ to þe fol to han richessis, whan wisdam bie he mai not? Who heiȝ makeþ his hous, secheþ falling; and who shoneþ to lerne, falleþ in to euelis. Alle time looueþ, þat is a frend; and a broþer in anguysshis is preued. A fool man shal for ioȝe flappe wiþ hondis, whan he shal behoten for his frend. Who sweteli þenkeþ discordis, looueþ striues ”

“ Foure þingus þer ben þe leste of erþe, and þei ben wisere þan wise men; amptis, a feble puple, þat greiþen in rep time mete to þem; a litil hare, a folc vnmyȝti, þat in a ston his bed settiþ; a king þe locuste haþ not, and it goþ out alle bi cumpanyes; a lisard wiþ hondis cleueþ, and he dwelliþ in þe housis of a king. ”

“ Þe man þat looueþ wisdam, gladiþ his fader; who forsoþe nurshiþ an hoore, shal leese substaunce. A riȝtwis king rereþ vp þe lond; an auerous man shal destroȝen it. Þe man þat wiþ flateryng and feyned wrdis spekiþ to his frend; a net sprediþ to his goingis. Þe sinnende wicke man a grene shal inwrappe; and þe riȝtwise shal preisen, and ioȝen. Þe riȝtwise kneȝ þe cause of pore men; þe vnpitous vnknowiþ kunnyng men. Bacbitende scateren þe cite; wise men forsoþe turnen awei wodnesse. A wis man if wiþ a fool shul striue ”

“ Capitulum XVI. Off a man is to make redy þe inwit; and of þe Lord to gouerne þe tunge. Alle þe weies of man ben opene to þe eȝen of hym; of spiritis þe peisere is þe Lord. Shewe to þe Lord þi werkis; and riȝt reulid shul ben þi þoȝtis. Alle þingus for hymself wroȝte þe Lord; also þe vnpitouse to þe euele dai. Abominacioun is of þe Lord eche proud man; also if hond at hond were, he shal not be innocent. Þe begynnyng of þe good wey to do riȝtwyssnesse; is alouwid anent God, more þan to offre ostis. Bi merci and treuþe wickidnesse is forboȝt; and in drede of þe Lord is bowid awei fro euel. ”

“ For þe Lord ȝyueþ wisdam; and of þe mouþ of hym prudence and kunnyng. He shal kepen þe helþe of riȝt men, and defende þe goende symplely; wiþholdende þe paþis of riȝtwisnesse, and þe weies of halewis kepende. Þanne þou shalt vnderstonde riȝtwisnesse, and dom, and equite, and eche good paþ. If wisdam shul go in to þin herte, and þe kunnyng to þi soule plese, counseil shal kepe þee, and prudence shal wiþholde þee; þat þou be pullid out fro an euel wey, and fro a man þat spekeþ shreude þingus. Þei þat forsaken þe riȝt going, and wenten bi derke weies ”

“ As an opyn cite, and wiþoute enuyrounyng of wallis; so a man þat mai not in speking chastisen his spirit.
Capitulum XXVI. What maner snoȝ in somer, and reyn in rep time; so vnsemende is to þe fool glorie. For as a brid to heȝe þingus ouerfleende, and a sparewe whider hym list goende; so curs in veyn spoken in to sum man shal comen ouer. A scourge to an hors, and a bernacle to an asse; and a ȝerde in þe reg of vnprudent men. Answere þou not to a fool aftir his folie, lest þou be maad out lic to hym. Answere to a fool aftir his folie, lest he seme to ben wis to hymself. ”

“ Þe comb of hony wel set woordis; swetnesse of soule is helþe of bones. Þer is a weie þat semeþ to a man riȝt; and þe last þingis of it leden to deþ. Þe soule of þe trauailere trauaileþ to hymself; for hys mouþ compellide hym. An unwis man delueþ euel; and in þe lippis of hym fyr brenneþ. A man peruertid rereþ striues; and þe man ful of woordis seuereþ princis. Þe wicke man flatereþ his frend; and ledeþ hym bi a weie not good. Þat wiþ stoneȝid eȝen þenkeþ shreude þingis, bitende his lippis parformeþ euel. Þe croune of dignete elde, þat in þe weie of riȝtwisnesse shal be founde. ”

“ Tac þe cloþing of hym, þat behotiþ for a straunger; and for an alien tac awei to hym a wed. Who blissiþ to his neȝhebore wiþ a gret vois, fro nyȝt risende, to þe cursere shal be lic. Rooues þurȝ droppende in þe dai of cold, and a womman ful of strif ben comparisound togidere. Who holdiþ hir, as he heelde wind; and þe oile of his riȝt side he auoide out. Iren wiþ iren is whettid out; and a man whettiþ out þe face of his frend. ”

“ Exposiciouns in Osee, Amos, Zacharie, and Malachie, þe whiche ȝee asken, I shulde han write, if it hadde ben leeful for siknesse. Ȝee senden solacys of costis, ȝoure notories, and bokis writeres sustenende, þat to ȝou most oure wit trauaile. And lo! aside þe hauntende puple of men diuerse þingis askende, as or euene it be me to trauailen, ȝou hungrende, also to oþere, or, in resoun of ȝyuen þing and taken, to any, saue ȝou, I be bounde. ”

“ Of whiche þe raþere I fond Ebru, not Ecclesiasticum, as anent þe Latynes, but Parablis beforn notid; to whom weren ioyned Eclesiastes and þe Song of Songis; þat he shulde euene to þe licnesse of Salamon, not onli in noumbre of bokis, but also in maner of mateeris. Þe secounde anent þe Ebrues is neuer no wher, for and þat maner of speche sauoureþ þe Grekis faire speche; and summe of olde writeres afermen þis boc to ben of Jew Filon. As þanne Judiþ, and Tobie, and þe bokis of Macabeis, redeþ hem forsoþe þe chirche, but among þe reuleer scripturis resceyueþ not ”

“ Capitulum XXVIII. The vnpitouse fleeþ, no man pursuende; þe riȝtwis forsoþe as a leoun trostende wiþout ferd shal be. For þe synnes of þe erþe manye princis of it; and for þe wisdam of a man, and þe kunnyng of þese þingus þat ben seid, þe lif of a duk shal ben lengere. A man pore chalengende pore men, lic is to hidous weder, in whiche is greiþid hunger. Who forsaken þe lawe, preisen þe vnpitous; who kepen, shul ben tend vp aȝen hym. ”

“ Capitulum XXIIII. Ne enuye þou euele men, ne desire þou to ben wiþ þem. For raueynes sweteli þenkeþ þe mynde of hem, and giles þe lippis of hem speken. Bi wisdam shal þe hous ben bild, and bi prudence it shul be strengþid. In doctrine shul be fulfild þe celeris, wiþ alle precious substaunce and most fair. A wis man is strong, and a taȝt man is stalwrþe and myȝti. For wiþ disposicioun men goþ in to bataile; and helþe shal ben, wher ben many counseilis. Ful heeȝ to þe fool wisdam; in þe ȝate he shal not openen his mouþ. Who þenkeþ euelis to don, a fool shal ben clepid. ”

“ And not ȝit þe wellis of watris hadden broken out, ne ȝit þe mounteynes in heuy mykilnesse hadden ben maad; er þe hillis I was born. Ȝit þe erþe he hadde not maad; and flodis, and þe utmost poyntys of þe roundnesse of þe erþe. ”